Page 1 “…Fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. (1:18b,19) …The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. (4:1,2) …But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. (6:11, 12a) …Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith. Grace be with you.” (6:20, 21) passages from I Timothy NIV “…when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth ?” Luke 18:8b “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” Romans 1:16,17 Dear Friends and Family, Thanks to all of you for your many prayers for us, our family, and Servants In Fellowship over these last months— and very warm greetings from our Haiti home! We returned to Port au Prince from furlough on August 6 th —the anniversary of our initial move to Haiti. That day in 1996, our family left Ohio to set out on our new adventure the Lord had called us to in Haiti. We are still amazed at God’s wonderworking ways and provisions! How great is our God! There is no god like our God! (Never was, never will be, only satan’s deceptive imitations.) How reassuring it is to have the Lord’s reminders from the Bible in these tumultuous times. Reminders to… …be faithful to our Lord, regardless …resist temptation and not let satan or lusts pull us away from the real Way, the real Truth, the real Life …contend for the faith with all our being and fervent prayer …stand on His promises. He is our Rock and He is changeless—the same yesterday, today, and forever. Whatever you are facing, face it with God. And do NOT turn away—cling to Him always! Jesus is our Rock in a weary land! These past months have had a lot of ups and downs, but our God is faithful—and each trial/difficult situation keeps us pressing in closer to Him—and onward and upward. April/May/June April began with the Brubakers, our intern Colin, and Fanfan in the US. Meanwhile Greg, with the assistance of Mac and Bruno, spent many days working at a building off Route Frere. They divided two huge rooms into seven smaller ones to help make a trade school a reality. Once Travis, Colin, and Fanfan returned, the guys added counter tops for a computer classroom and for a small café (for teaching business). When the Brubakers returned mid-April, they got to introduce Travis’s parents, Dale and Karla, to Haiti and their new home here. We were all able to enjoy a special treat, an Easter meal together with another missionary couple, our long-time friends, John and JoAnn Munsell. September 2019 Travis, Fanfan, Greg, and Colin testing the strength of a counter they installed at the trade school
Transcript
Page 1
“…Fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have
rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. (1:18b,19) …The Spirit
clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving
spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical
liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. (4:1,2) …But you,
man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love,
endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. (6:11, 12a)
…Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless
chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some
have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith. Grace be with
you.” (6:20, 21) passages from I Timothy NIV
“…when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8b
“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first
for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by
faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” Romans 1:16,17
Dear Friends and Family,
Thanks to all of you for your many prayers for us, our family, and Servants In Fellowship over these last months—
and very warm greetings from our Haiti home! We returned to Port au Prince from furlough on August 6th—the
anniversary of our initial move to Haiti. That day in 1996, our family left Ohio to set out on our new adventure the
Lord had called us to in Haiti. We are still amazed at God’s wonderworking ways and provisions! How great is our
God! There is no god like our God! (Never was, never will be, only satan’s deceptive imitations.)
How reassuring it is to have the Lord’s reminders from the Bible in these tumultuous times. Reminders to…
…be faithful to our Lord, regardless
…resist temptation and not let satan or lusts pull us away from the real Way, the real Truth, the real Life …contend for the faith with all our being and fervent prayer …stand on His promises.
He is our Rock and He is changeless—the same yesterday, today, and forever. Whatever you are facing, face it
with God. And do NOT turn away—cling to Him always! Jesus is our Rock in a weary land!
These past months have had a lot of ups and downs, but our God is faithful—and each trial/difficult situation
keeps us pressing in closer to Him—and onward and upward.
April/May/June
April began with the Brubakers, our intern Colin, and Fanfan in the US.
Meanwhile Greg, with the assistance of Mac and Bruno, spent many
days working at a building off Route Frere. They divided two huge
rooms into seven smaller ones to help make a trade school a reality.
Once Travis, Colin, and Fanfan returned, the guys added counter tops
for a computer classroom and for a small café (for teaching business).
When the Brubakers returned mid-April, they got to introduce Travis’s
parents, Dale and Karla, to Haiti and their new home here. We were all
able to enjoy a special treat, an Easter meal together with another
missionary couple, our long-time friends, John and JoAnn Munsell.
September 2019
Travis, Fanfan, Greg, and Colin testing the strength of a counter they installed at the trade school
Page 2
May 4-11. Mansfield Area Medical Team (OH). Led by Tim and Toby Banks. 14 P (2M/12W).
Tim & Toby brought a medical team of hospital co-workers and other friends. They
worked each day at the Faith Academy chapel, seeing more than 800 patients total.
During two of the days, the team members took turns away from the mobile clinic to
experience building a house nearby (assisted by Greg, Colin, Mac, and Bruno). Tim and
Toby were delighted to see all the HOPE girls too!
During that week, news came that Yogi Durbin, our beloved pastor and a dear friend for
over 40 years, had taken his last breath on this earth (after a massive heart attack). This
man greatly impacted our lives and countless others. When we left for the mission field
23 years ago, it was from the church he pastored. No doubt, our obedience to move was
largely because of his excellent leadership and mentoring. He led many people to know
Jesus as Savior and Lord and to follow God wholeheartedly. Now Yogi’s with Jesus!
May 25th was a busy day! We had one team leaving and another arriving. It was also Mac’s wedding day! (He has
worked with teams and housebuilding since our first days of building in Montreal.) Some of us were hoping to go
to the wedding, but with a flight delay, it ended up being the same time as our next team was arriving.
May 25-June 1. South Lebanon Community Church (PA). Led by Jon and Markay Freed. 19P (14M/5W). As a large
group, they were able to build 12 houses during the week.
One of the houses was for a lady Greg had promised a house
to in March. But then a family in dire need was brought to
his attention, so Greg asked her if it would be okay to
postpone her house and build for the other family instead.
She graciously consented. So she was overjoyed and very
grateful when this team built the house she’d been patiently
waiting for. She said she knew Greg would come back
because he is a man of his word. That was a great testimony
and blessed our hearts, too.
There was much to praise the Lord for. Brubakers and Colin are from this
team’s church, so the week was a joyous reunion for them all. During the
week, Eloise Brubaker graduated from kindergarten. We also found out that
the dog that bit Cathie on a walk earlier in the month did not have rabies.
To make the week even sweeter, our daughter Julie and our granddaughters
Alayna and Jenna came to visit, along with Julie’s boyfriend, Joseph. They
worked with the team one day and other days enjoyed fun in the sun, time at
a pool, going around town and up the mountain. (It would have been very
hard to say goodbye, except that we were heading to Ohio the next week for
furlough!)
A medical team member serving with compassion
The hardworking team from South Lebanon Community Church with our Haiti crew
Above: The SLCC team surrounding us in prayer. In the foreground are Eloise, Jenna,
& Alayna
Left: What joy to host our oldest daughter and our oldest granddaughters!
Far Left: Joseph, Julie, Alayna, Jenna, and Greg getting ready to enjoy a meal up the
mountain
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Weeks never seem to go by without some glitches to work through. During this time, our big double fridge went
on the fritz again—this time needing replaced. It took a while, but we found a suitable new replacement and were
able to bring it home and get things in the kitchen running smoothly again. Another hard thing for us was sorting
through Cathie’s Medicare enrollment information. (She turned 65 in June!) Going through that maze long-
distance was made much easier by our friend Jodie. (Thanks, Jodie!) Greg spent time at the Haitian dentist office
getting his front teeth repaired and crowned and re-repaired. His oncologist had said the chemo meds would
make his teeth crumble—and this was happening and continued over the summer.
Colin finished his 5-month internship and left Haiti on June 10th. He was a tremendous help and blessing to us—
and the Brubakers—throughout his time in Haiti. (Mèsi anpil anpil, Colin!)
As had been the case numerous times throughout the previous months, there were once again frequent days of
possible protests. Some developed, some didn’t. The gas shortages happening then have become a very serious
problem again lately. The Haitian currency buys less and less. These things make it super difficult for the Haitian
folks, hampering travel and work within the country and dissuading many people from choosing to spend time
(and money) in Haiti. Pray that the Haitian people will turn to the Lord and draw close to and rely upon Him.
Furlough (June 14- August 6)
Our furlough this summer was sandwiched between the May and August teams. On June 14th, we headed to Ohio
and 7 weeks flew by before we knew it! They were packed with speaking, trips to doctors and the dentist (more
crowns for Greg), babysitting, remodeling, and time with family and friends. Greg’s oncologist is pleased that he
continues in remission from his CLL. The urologist is surprised but delighted that Greg’s PSA levels are way down.
Praise the Lord! Both doctors will recheck in December.
Our speaking took us to various places around Ohio and to one church in Michigan. It
was special for Brubakers and Bensons to be together for two sharing times—one in
Fredericktown (OH) and one in Michigan.
We carved out two days for a get-away to Hocking Hills with our daughter Cheryl. It
was very special because it is rare for the three of us to be able to spend time
together, just having fun and enjoying ourselves, away from SIF work and “shoptalk”.
This was the summer to watch the progression of several houses. Well, Greg did
more than “watch” and was quickly put to work assisting in renovation projects at
Linette and Andrew’s house—taking out an unwanted chimney and fireplace; putting up ceiling beams; hauling
demolition stuff away; painting; and installing some kitchen cabinets. Our family also got to see the start of Ian
and Melissa’s new house. It had been in the planning stages for quite a while, so it was a thrill to visit the site
together and see the ground broken and the basement all dug out. A house was even being built next to our
Mount Vernon home. So there’s been lots of construction discussions!
While Ian and Melissa took a 10th anniversary trip to Hawaii, we babysat our three
youngest granddaughters—Bethany (7), Mikayla (5), and Nora (almost 3) for a couple
days at the start and the end of trip, with the
sisters taking turns the other days. What fun
with them—and what boundless energy!
With Cheryl after a warm hike through the caves at Hocking Hills
Nora, Bethany, & Mikayla donning their Hawaiian garb
Linette and Andrew celebrated their first
anniversary (7/21) with a trip to the Canadian
Rockies. Soon after, all our family spent a few
days at our get-away spot near Millersburg,
which we fondly call The Farmhouse. At The Farmhouse, ready for a breakfast of fresh homemade doughnuts!
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Our furlough weeks
included lots of good
times to see folks—
usually much shorter
than we’d like. But, short
is better than none at all!
Each visit was a blessing
to us!
*****
We had the great joy of learning (on Father’s Day) that Linette
and Andrew were expecting. Sadly, the little one miscarried in
August. Our family will have to wait ‘til heaven to see this
newest family member, James Isaac Morris. (Though Yogi has
probably already met him!)
Coming back to the US only intermittently, we are shocked by some things we see and saddened by many
others—people leaving the area, people leaving the earth/passing away, and (even more sadly) people leaving the
Lord. It’s most grievous when people depart from the faith. Make sure you don’t! Resist the devil and flee
temptation.
August/September
At furlough’s end, we flew back to Haiti and began our 24th year here with two NY teams:
August 10-17. Parkminster Church (NY). Led by Jeff Willit. 7P (3M/4W).
This team impacted lives in Lafferonney, building 3 houses. Two
other days, they repaired school desks/benches at a school in
Cazeau. That was much appreciated, as Haitian schools were set to
open in a few weeks (Sept.9th).
August 17-24. Lockport Alliance Church (NY). Led by Walt and Marcia
Keller. 8P (3M/5W). They were involved in several projects. The first
day, they helped put down a plywood floor on the new addition at
Rendezvous Christ Church (RVC). (This is the church we usually
attend.) For the next
three days, the team went to Lafferonney
and built a house each morning. In the
afternoons and all day Friday, they
worked at Fanfan’s school, Faith
Academy, getting the library room closer
to completion. On Friday and Saturday,
Greg and some of the team members
returned to do more at RVC, adding
down-spouting and protecting things
from rain damage.
Making memories at The Farmhouse and enjoying a nearby waterfall
The Parkminster team at Rendezvous Christ Church
Travis and 2 team members building a bookshelf for the library
The Lockport Alliance Team
When this team left for the airport, so did Travis. Unfortunately, as a result of his hernia
surgery in April, he needed another hernia surgery. He went back to PA for three weeks.
We pray this will heal well and not cause further problems!
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Unfortunately, when we came back from furlough, we came back to some major problems at the guesthouse—a
massive termite infestation and growing cracks in some of the guesthouse walls. The house has now been treated
for termites. Hopefully they are all being eliminated and the problem conquered! The widening cracks in the wall
around the office and upstairs balcony are currently being addressed. A boss mason (Remy) will soon be tackling
that by totally removing the current 1st floor office and 2nd floor balcony and rebuilding them. The office and
balcony will be totally redesigned. Pray for wisdom and for an even better-than-before end result.
There are still intermittent protests going on, plus fuel shortages and a very high exchange rate. As is typical this
time of year, with school starting Sept.9th, many, many Haitians are needing money for startup of school expenses
and fees. So it has been an extremely difficult time for most Haitians.
On a more encouraging note, transition for the Brubakers is going very well. All three Brubaker children are now
attending QCS—Noah in 4th grade, Eloise in 1st, and Fitsum in pre-K. Travis and Erin are learning the Creole
language and lots of cultural and ministry lessons.
Other News
For those of you who follow Fanfan and Faith Academy, you know what a big deal it is to take the 9th grade exam.
In June, Fanfan hosted the exam for 560 area students. He was very pleased that all his 9th graders (25) passed the
exam this year! Of the 9th graders from Faith Academy, the three highest scores belonged to the 3 HOPE girls in
the class!
Just recently, funds were provided for a new pickup truck, to replace our old blue one (which was continuously
giving us problems.) Thanks to all who made that possible!! It’s been purchased and we obtained the necessary
paperwork—sort of. The dealer says the temporary permit for the license plate expires every 72 hours. So Greg
was given a huge stack of permit papers to carry, all signed by the car dealer so he can present “the current one”
whenever stopped at police checks. Also, because of the fuel shortage, there was no fuel at the gas station next to
the dealership. Greg and Fanfan had to return home without the new truck the first trip, in order to get our fuel
can and take fuel to put in the truck before they could drive it off the lot. So as with many things here, it was quite
the process, very inefficient with lots of waiting and such a hassle, but eventually we got the truck home!
Now we have no teams until November. This leaves the intervening
time for:
- Lots of training with Brubakers
- Greg and Travis to work on projects at RVC (steps, electric)
- More work on Faith Academy’s library
- Planning for 2020 teams
- Overseeing the office & balcony redo
Beyond that, Erin and Cathie have a bunch of paperwork to do for
SIF and will also work on things around the guesthouse. Cheryl is
planning a trip down to do some training with Erin for mobile med
and VBS teams. Travis and Erin will continue with their Creole
lessons. Junior will continue to disciple folks—mainly in the Kago
area.
Thanks so much for your prayers and support in so many ways! Keep serving the Lord faithfully, and pray we will
do the same. We would love to have more folks come on teams—there’s room for you!
All for Jesus and God’s glory,
At Faith Academy’s library, we’ll be continuing on from Lockport’s work (shown here)
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Greg & Cathie Benson
September 2019
Praise the Lord with us for:
1. God being with us through the storms of life and helping us travel through them—NEVER to leave us.
2. A full but satisfying furlough time with family and friends—and good doctor reports.
3. Teams, Colin, and the Brubaker family who have given of themselves to share Christ and His love.
4. A new pickup truck and many, many more provisions from the Lord.
5. The promise of heaven for us someday and the loved ones who will be there to meet us!
Pray with us for:
1. God’s wisdom and strength; good health and safety.
2. Continued learning of Creole language, culture, and SIF ministry for Brubakers; forging good connections and friendships; total healing of the hernia!
3. The termites to be completely gone. The front part of house to be fixed and better than ever.
4. The November team coming over Thanksgiving from NewLife in Fredericktown, OH (Nov. 22-29).
5. More teams to sign up for 2020. Pray about coming!
6. God’s leading as we make plans for the future and seek His direction for the mission here and what God has for us; productive trip/training with Cheryl.
7. More people to hear and accept the Gospel. For people to turn to Christ and away from any and all of Satan’s destructive, deceitful, deadly entrapments.
8. That we will all fight the good fight of faith, guarding what He has placed in our care, fleeing from everything that is not godly or pleasing to the Lord—and be faithful to our Lord Jesus to the end.
